Seal



y 1951 G. G. CANTER 2,554,520

SEAL

Filed Nov. 17, 1948 A ffom eys Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEAL George G. Canter, New York, N. Y.

Application November 17, 1948, Serial No. 60,603

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to seals, more particularly to strap seals of the type suitable "for use on freight cars, trucks and containers of various kinds for the shipment of valuable goods, the seal being removable only by destruction.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a seal of the type described which is inexpensive to manufacture, effective and positive in operation, incapable of being opened without showing obvious signs of tampering, and not likely to be rendered inoperative by careless handling.

The invention will best be understood by the following description of the present preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a complete seal as supplied to the user;

Fig. 2 shows the seal in use on a common type of freight car look;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the disk and the associated, eventually enclosed end of the strap before these parts have been fastened together;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the same parts in their fastened relationship;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the relative positions of the strap ends and disk at the moment when the free end of the strap first engages the tongue of the enclosed end;

Fig. 6 is a central sectional view through the completed seal showing the position of the parts when the free end of the strap has first been fully inserted in the enclosure;

Fig. 7 is a similar View showing the position of the parts when the free end of the strap has been pulled downwardly into engagement with the tongue on the enclosed end; a

Fig. 8 is a similar View showing the position of the parts when a strong force has been applied in a direction tending to pull out the free end;

Fig. 9 is a plan view, partly in section, taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the free end of the strap; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional detail illustrating the interengagement of the free end of the strap with the tongue on the enclosed end when the tongue on the free end has been flattened into the plane of the strap.

The seal consists of only four principal parts, namely: an elongated strap 14 with parallel sides made of sheet metal having a slight springiness, such as quarter-hard cold rolled steel about .015"

thick; a lower sealing shell IS; an upper sealing 2 I shell l6; and a slotted disk l8. The strap H as. is'usual, may be embossed with the user name and a serial number as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the disk I8 is pro vided with a narrow slot l9 which is slightly wider than strap I4 and disposed centrally of the disk. Thi disk is secured in position, as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, between the enclosing shells l5 and and 16, being seated on the flange 29 of shell l5. Shell "5 has a flange 2| which rests on the disk and the edge of flange 20 is crimped over tightlyv on the flange 2| to form the bead 22. The lower shell l5 has a slot 24 approximately the same size as the slot l9 in the disk and the parts are assembled with these two slots in alignment.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, a portion of the enclosed end of strap I4 is bent approximately at right angles to the body of the strap as shown at 25 and isperforated at 26. Disk I8 is provided with an opening 21 formed by means of a punch and die so as to raise the metal of the disk around the opening to form a tubular rivet 28, as shown in Fig. 3. Rivet 28 passes through opening 26 and is expanded over portion 25 as shown in Fig. 4.

The enclosed end of strap I4 is also provided with an upstanding angularly disposed tongue 29 which is struck up from the metal of the strap, leaving the opening 30.

The free end of the strap, as shown in Figs. 1 and 10, is provided with a slot 3| of sufficient width to freely receive tongue 29. In forming the slot 3|, a tongue 32 is also formed and preferably pressed outwardly at an angle to the plane of the strap in a direction such that it will overhang the tongue 29 when the free end of the strap is'inserted in the enclosure. The free end of the strap is designated 34. I

It will be observed, as shown in Fig. 5, that tongue 29 is disposed at such an angle that it extends upwardly above and across the slot l9 in disk [8. After the strap l4 has been inserted through the element of the lock adapted to receive it, the free end 34 is brought around and inserted through slot 24 in shell I5 and slot l9 in disk l8. As it is pushed through the enclosure provided by the shells l5 and I6, the strap end 34 first engages the under face of the tongue 29, as shown in Fig. 5, and upon further inward'movement tongue 29 is sprung back slightly, passing over tongue 32 and, due to its resiliency, snap? ping into slot 3!, as shown in Fig. 6. Whentongue 29 snaps into slot 3| it makes an audible click. Due to the fact that the strap passes through the slot 24 in shell 15 it is impossible to a so manipulate the strap as to bend tongue 29 beyond its elastic limit and to so deform it that the seal will not work properly. Upon retraction of the strap, in a downward direction as shown in Fig. 7, tongue 29 engages the underside of tongue 32, preventin disengagement of the strap ends. Upon the application of greater force in a direc-- tion tending to pull the free end of the strap out of the enclosure, the seal becomes more securely looked, as, shown in. Fig. 8, from which it will be seen that'the tongue 29' has been flattened against the face of disk 18 forming a bridge across the slot I9 and at the same time the tongue 32 has been bent at right angles to the strap 34 andbent at an angle so as to overlie the free end oi the tongue 29. This bending of end 34; occurs because the width of tongue 32 is equal to. or greater than the sum ofthe widths of the legs 36, and 3a on either side. of it. and therefore: the, legs. bend with the tongue, tipping over the. end 34.

It. will be. noted that the strap l 4., including. its integral tongues, may be cut. from. either sheet or strip. stock without wasting. any metal since no part of the. strap. is. wider than any other.

I While the enclosed .end'of. strap. Hi has been. shown, as secured to the, disk [8 by means of an integral rivet, this connection may obviously be made other ways. as. by usin a separate. rivet... by spot. welding or by bending a portion of; the strap around. a. portion of the disk or. through an opening provided. therein tor that purpose. It is also possible to form. the seal without this permanent connection. between the enclosed and of the strap and the disk since the interengagement. oithe. ends. can be ei-fiectedin the. absencev of this. connection-merely by holding the enclosed end as the free, end is. pushedrpastit.

The accidental, damagev to which the seal is most likely to be subject is that tongue 32 will be flattened into the plane of. strap M. Even if this should happen the seal remains operative be-- cause tongue 29 will snap into slot 3! even when tongue- 32 is in the plane of the strap, as shown Fig; 11;. Thereafter, as the .free end is pulleddownwardly, the end of tongue 32 will engage tongue 29 causing tongue 29 to'be bent toward the disk with the result that tongue 32. will overlie it and will be bent in the same manner as described above in connectionv with Figs. '7 and 8.v

- The. invention thus provides: a seal of the typedescribedwhich is: positive and. sure in its action,

not. likely'tobe rendered; inoperative by accidental damage. and which cannot. bev opened aiteronce. being engaged without leaving; obvious signs. of tampering. y

In view of obvious modifications which may be made in the. embodiment herein particularly described without departing from th spirit of. the; invention, it is to be construed broadly within the purview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1.. A sea] comprising a hollow body providing an enclosure, a slotted disk extending across said enclosure and secured therein, said body having a slot aligned with the slot. in said disk, av strap having a permanently enclosed end extending through both of said slots and a bent portion 4 1 disk and extending across the slot therein, the other end of said strap having a slot adapted to receive said tongue when said other end is inserted into said enclosure and pushed through the slot in the disk and past said tongue.

2. A seal comprising a hollow body providing an enclosure, a slotted disk extending across said enclosure and secured therein, said body having a slot aligned with the slot in said disk, a strap having a permanently; enclosedend extendin through both of said slots and fastened to said disk, said end also having a tongue initially disposed at an angle to said disk and extending across the slot therein, the other end of said strap having a slot adapted to receive said tongue when said: other end is inserted into said enclosure and pushedthrough the slot in the disk and; past said tongue.

In a seal, an enclosure formed by a pair of shells permamently secured together, a slotted disk extending across said enclosure andsecllred between said shells, one of said shellslhavinga slot. aligned with: the slot in said disk, a. strap. having one end which. extends through both of, said slots, a portion of said end being bent .palal-- lel to and adapted to. rest uponthe faceoi said disk, said end also havin an integral tongue dis-H posed. at an angle to said disk and. extendin across the slot therein, the other end of said strap having aslot adapted to receive-said tongue, said, other end having a. second. tongue directed toward said last-mentioned slot, said second tongue being adapted to engage, behind, said, fir t mentioned tongue. when said other end of, aid. strap is inserted. through the slot. thedisk.

4.. In a seal, an enclosure, formed by orflanged shells, a, slotted disk extending across said enclosure and secured between the fiangesei. said shells, the. flange oi one shell being crimped' over the flange on the other shell, one of shells having a slot aligned with the slot in, said overlying said disk and adapted to rest upon the;

' across the slot therein, the other end of disk, a strap having one end which extends. through both of said slots, a portion of said end being bent parallel to and adapted to rest upon the face of said disk, said end also. having an integral tongue disposed, at, an angle to. said disk and extending across the slot therein, the other end of said strap having a slot adaptsdto re ceive said tongue.

5. In a seal, an enclosure formed by a pair of. shells permanently secured together, a slotted disk extending across said enclosure and. secured between said shells, one of said shells having a slot aligned with the; slot in said disk, a strap having one .end which extendsth-rough both of said slots, a portion of said end extend par allel to and adapted to rest. upon the. {ac oi sai': disk, said end also having; an integral ongue r posed at an angle to said disk and ext-en.

having a slot adapted to receive said tongue'and a tongue bounded in part by said last-mentioned slot, the last-mentioned tongue projecting from the strap in a direction facing toward the firstmentioned tongue when said other and is inserted.

in said enclosure.

6. In a seal, an enclosure formed by a pair of shells permanently secured together, a slotted; disk extending across said enclosure and secured between said shells, one of said. shells having a. slot aligned with the slot in saiddisk, a strap having one end which extends through both of said slots, a portion of said end being bent parallel to the face of saidd-isk, mea-nszfastening said. p rtion. to said. disk, said endalso. having an integral tongue disposed at an angle to said disk and extending across the slot therein, the other end of said strap having a slot adapted to receive said tongue when said other end is pushed through said slots.

7. In a seal, an enclosure formed by a pair of shells permanently secured together, a slotted disk extending across said enclosure and secured between said shells, one of said shells having a slot aligned with the slot in said disk, a strap having one end which extends through both of said slots, a portion of said end being bent parallel to the face of said disk, an integral rivet formed from said disk fastening said portion to the disk, said end also having an integral tongue disposed at an angle to said disk and extending across the slot therein, the other end of said strap having a slot adapted to receive said tongue when said other end is pushed through'said slots.

8. A seal comprising an enclosure formed by a pair of shells permanently secured together, a slotted disk extending across said enclosure and secured between said shells, one of said shells having a slot aligned with the slot in said disk,

6 l a strap having one end which extends through the slot in the shell and is bent so as to lie parallel to a face of said disk, the bend in the end of the strap being adjacent one edge of the slot in the disk, said strap end being permanently connected to said disk and having an integral tongue initially extending angularly across the slot in the disk, the other end of the strap having a slot adapted to receive said tongue when said other end is pushed through the slot in the disk and past said tongue.

GEORGE G. CANTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

V UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

